Cali and Edward revised
by orcalover24
Summary: Cali goes to rainy Forks, Wa. for a funeral but ends up having the adventure of a lifetime. She meets a sad and broken hearted young man with a secret that would either kill her or save her life as she wrecks her jeep and falls prey to mountain lions.


**Cali and Edward**

**By: Sarah Rosler**

**Edward**

The needle on my speedometer was up to sixty five as I drove beneath the dripping trees of Forks, Washington. The windshield of my blue Jeep Wrangler was covered in rain, making it hard to see very clearly. I was on my way to a funeral and, naturally, I was running late. I looked at the clock, 3:15.

"Dammit!" I said under my breath.

The woman that had died was the cousin of my uncle's ex-wife, one of those long-lost extended family members. Her name was Isabella Swan. I hadn't really known her well, but my mother had. I felt that it would honor their friendship if I paid my respects.

While I didn't know her well, I had met her once. I was twelve. My mother had brought me down for a visit and I got to know her a little bit then. But I never remembered anything from that visit.

I looked at my speedometer again. The needle had moved up to seventy five. A little fast, yes, but I liked it. The speed helped me think. Not about anything in particular but it helps for bad moods.

Something flashed in my rear view. I looked out my window to see a silver Volvo passing me at over a hundred miles an hour."Now that is speeding," I said. The Volvo disappeared around the curves of the road.

I looked for the third time at the directions I got off of MapQuest trying to remember which road to turn on. I nearly passed it when I saw a sign that said "Forks Cemetery" with an arrow pointing right. After slamming on the brakes and nearly hydroplaning, I turned and noticed the silver Volvo way ahead of me. I wondered if that person was heading in the same direction.

The funeral itself was being held at the cemetery which, from the pictures I got off the internet, is supposed to be gorgeous with all the wild flowers around the graves. Another four or five miles and I would find out.

As I pulled into the dirt parking lot, I noticed that the service had already started. I knew I was late but I didn't know how late. It took me nearly three hours to drive from Seattle to Forks itself and another thirty minutes to get to the cemetery. I got out and approached the crowd of people gathered around the casket that held Ms. Swan above her grave. I joined the group and listened to the preacher as he bid Ms. Swan goodbye.

The service was over in fifteen minutes and the grave was being filled in. There was a memorial luncheon held for the mourners in a building beside the cemetery office. Inside, someone had set up boards with pictures of Ms. Swan. I looked at them and saw her life. After looking at the all the pictures—and even seeing my mother in some—I walked back to my jeep and made my way back to Forks. It wasn't until I'd been driving for about twenty minutes that I realized I had left my shoes back at the cemetery. I hung a u-ey and headed back. When I got there though I noticed that the silver Volvo I had seen earlier was sitting there, perfectly parked under a willow tree. I ignored it and went searching for my shoes. The janitor had found them and put them in the lost and found. Instead of putting them on I simply picked them up and started to walk back to my jeep.

I passed by Isabella's freshly filled grave and looked up to see a tall, copper-haired boy standing beside it. He was about my age—nineteen—and very handsome. His eyes were closed and he hummed quietly. I didn't mean to, but I had stopped. The song he was humming sounded so sweet and he looked so sad that I felt his pain. As if he could hear my thoughts he stopped humming and turned at me so fast it was like hadn't moved at all. He stared at me with dark eyes that were filled with mourning, anger and for some reason, frustration. He looked as if he were trying to solve some sort of puzzle but no matter what couldn't get that last piece. I backed away, preparing to leave, but when I turned my back to him, he spoke.

"Don't go," he said.

I slowly turned around. "I'm sorry?" I asked.

"Don't go," he repeated. "I didn't mean to glare. I'm sorry." His voice was so melodic that I couldn't help but want to hear him speak again. His eyes never left me.

"Did you know her?" I asked as I approached, slowly. I gestured toward Ms. Swan's grave.

"Yes," he answered, his face now turned back to the headstone. His voice was so low I couldn't understand what he'd said. When I stood next to him I read the headstone.

_**Isabella Swan September 13, 1991-January 22, 2041**_

"She was only fifty wasn't she?"

"Yes, she was," the boy said. "Did _you_ know her?" he risked a side glance.

"Barely. I met her when I was twelve, but I don't really remember her."

"She was an amazing woman, very clumsy and accident-prone, but amazing."

"I'm Cali," I said, regretting it almost instantly. I held out my hand to shake his, but he just glared at me from beneath his lids. He didn't speak so I withdrew my hand.

"If you know what's good for you," he said, "You'll stay away from me." Then he started to leave.

"What makes you say that?" I called.

He turned and stared at me. Then he walked back and leaned to whisper in my ear. "Because I'll be the end of you," was all he said. I thought I heard him make a noise with his nose as if to smell me. He started to walk away again.

"Can I at least know your name?" I called. His name wasn't really something I should have asked for if I wanted to stay away from him, yet I did and I don't know why.

He stopped but didn't turn around. "Edward," he replied. Then he walked back to his Volvo and revved the engine.

"It was nice meeting you Edward." There was absolutely no way he could have heard me, but for some reason I knew Edward heard me say that. Once he was gone I returned to my jeep and drove back to Forks.

I arrived at the old inn I decided to stay at for the night. I went into my room and sat on the bed. I could've gone out to see the sights or even read one of the books I had brought but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to get Edward off my mind. Every feature was etched in my brain; his face, his voice, his eyes. Especially his eyes, and the first time he looked at me. I swear it's like he was trying to read my mind.

Something inside me said to just leave the matter alone but something else was curious to find out just who he was. Him simply telling me to stay away was what roped me into wanting to find out more. I couldn't explain the urge, but it scared me because the warning he gave, told me that this guy was dangerous.

**The Truth**

I was fully prepared to do exactly what Edward had told me to. I had decided to forget any of this had ever happened. I was packed up and on my way to Seattle when it started to pour down rain. The clouds were so thick it was dark and the rain was coming down so hard even my windshield wipers set on turbo couldn't help me see any better, and somehow I had gotten lost.

Those were three things I didn't need. And I knew that I had to slow down at the risk of crashing, or worse, hydroplaning and running off the road. Sure enough my tires suddenly lost traction and the car started to roll on top of the wet gravel. I couldn't do anything to stop it. I tried to maintain as much control as I could until a lightning bolt hit the road in front of me and I swerved. Next thing I knew the jeep was upside down, the airbag had deployed and I was hanging on by my seat belt. I was close to unconsciousness when I felt two cold, strong arms pull me out. I was conscious just long enough to see a tall pale figure leaning over me and then I passed out.

When I woke up again I was in a brightly lit room laying on a bed with a beeping noise to my left. I opened my eyes to see the heart monitor and IV bag that are natural parts of a hospital room. My head was pounding and my chest ached. I moaned at the pain.

"Welcome back," a doctor in a long white coat had entered the room with a clipboard in his hand.

"What happened?" I moaned.

"You crashed on one of the back roads. Flipped your jeep and broke three ribs. Lucky for you there was someone nearby to get you out before any further damage was caused." Out of nowhere Edward enters the room and stands beside the doctor. I stared at him, shocked and almost afraid.

"_You_ saved me?" I said in shock.

"Don't get used to it," he replied.

"You two have met?" the doctor asked.

"Yes, at Bella's funeral," Edward said, not taking his eyes off me. The doctor's face went from concentrated on his clipboard to sad and sympathetic for Edward. He turned to him and lightly touched Edward's shoulder. The moment was beautiful but also very sad. Dr. Cullen—according to his nametag—must have known what connection Edward had to Bella because, although his weren't as much, his eyes had sadness in them too.

He turned back to me. "Well Cali you'll need to stay a few days so we can keep an eye on your injuries. Everything else seems to be perfect. Would you like to call your parents?"

"I don't have parents." I said half-consciously. He looked up as if he'd never heard that before.

"Your legal guardian?" he was making a shot in the dark.

I shook my head. His expression didn't change and this time Edward joined in his gaze. "I've been living on my own for two years now," I explained. "The shelter I was living in let me go after I graduated high school."

"How old are you," he asked.

"Nineteen," I answered. My eyes moved to Edward who stood like a statue listening in.

"Alright, then. Do you have any insurance?"

"Yes." I gave him my policy and my number and he jot it down on his clipboard.

"Alright, I'll go sort all this out and let you get some rest." He turned to leave but not before giving Edward, who nodded, a stern look. Then it was just him and I in the quiet room.

"So," I began, "you were close." I said, a nervous crack marring my voice. "I should be thanking you."

"It's nothing to be too grateful for." I was almost sorry I asked. His voice was hoarse and yet, still smooth.

"Why not? You saved my life. I think you deserve some gratitude." My sarcasm wasn't welcome judging by the serious glare in his eyes.

"I'm dangerous," he said suddenly. "Get close to me and you'll be risking your life every minute of the day. You were lucky I was around when you crashed but that sort of luck is rare in its nature." His voice rose gradually as he spoke but I sat un-phased by his obvious anger.

"Why are you angry?" I asked softly. His eyes flared. "You make it sound like it's my fault that you're like some sort of bomb that could go off at any moment."

He walked away toward the window. The rain was falling so hard it could have been rocks being tossed at the glass. He leaned forward and met the window with his forehead, closing his eyes and breathing deeply.

"Why are you so dangerous?" I asked. The question must have caught him off guard because he looked up, confused.

"What?"

"You can't be extremely dangerous by your own will. You're too aware of it. What is it about you that makes you detest…SON OF A biscuit eating bulldog!" I had tried to sit up and disturbed my broken ribs. The pain shot through to my arms and I tensed up, unable to relax. Edward was at my bedside in a second putting his hands on my shoulders and looking me dead in the eye.

"Relax," he said calmly. "The pain is temporary. Best case scenario you'll experience the worst of it right now. After that you should only be sore."

I managed to relax my muscles and the pain subsided. I was breathing heavily when Edward removed his cold hands from my shoulders. He didn't move from the bedside though. He stood there and stared into my eyes and I got a good long look at his bright gold eyes.

"You have really pretty eyes," I said. I didn't really mean to say it, it just sort of came out.

He pulled away and sat down in the chair beside the bed. I noticed him then. Not that I wasn't aware of his presence but I actually got a good look at him. He was very pale with hard, straight features. His hair was copper and fell perfectly into a messy style that looked near impossible to achieve. His hands were cold when he touched me and I couldn't help but wonder if his everything was that cold. He looked like a statue as he sat there. I noticed that I was staring so I turned away and changed the subject.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

"I'm being serious." He blinked once and I took that as a cue to go ahead and ask. "How did you know Isabella?" It was honestly the only thing we had in common and I couldn't just let him go without getting to know him. So I took the chance. "I didn't see you at the funeral yet you seemed to have such a connection to her. No one else I met yesterday had the kind of pain in their eyes like you do in yours."

"Two days ago," he said.

"I'm sorry?"

"You've been unconscious for two days." I got irritated at the comment for some unknown reason and he could tell because he then proceeded to answer my question.

"Bella and I were very close. We'd known each other only for a few years it seems like. She couldn't seem to get enough of me."

"You two were friends?"

"You could say that." I brushed off the implications of that.

"What was she like?" His eyes stared at me puzzled.

"She was very different from you, almost the exact opposite. She was clumsy and was careless about everything." His eyes drifted back to the window. "But she was wonderful and very stubborn. Every day she would tell me how…" He broke off there.

He turned and gazed at me with his dark eyes, which then moved to the clock above the door. "It's getting late. I should let you get some rest." He started toward the door.

"Edward," I called after him. He stopped in the doorway. "Thank you for saving me."

"You're welcome," he whispered. The door closed and he was gone. I relaxed and let the sound of the rain take me away into my dreams.

**Fate**

I was released from the hospital on the knowledge that my insurance was able to cover my stay there. But the expenses didn't stop there. My jeep was at the impound lot and was in desperate need of repairs, repairs that would cost a lot of money. I had two choices; one, leave it and fly back home from Seattle, or two, stay and pay for repairs. I loved that jeep far too much to just leave it.

"What's the damage Doc?" I asked the mechanic. My right arm in a sling and fresh out of the hospital I was able to get my jeep towed from the impound lot to the mechanic. By the look on his face it wasn't very good.

"Well there's a lot of body damage. You can tell that your front right tire bent inward which messed up your steering system. I'd have to take a closer look to find out what else is busted."

"How long do you think it would all take?"

"Well if the damage is minor, 2 or 3 days. If there's serious damage to the undercarriage, you're looking about a week, maybe longer.

"Yikes." I rubbed my tired eyes. "Alright. Find out what all is wrong and give me a call. I won't be far."

"No problem. Just make sure you get better too. I found out the hard way what it's like to drive a stick with one arm."

"I'll be sure to do that. I'll see you in a few days."

I walked out the garage door and nearly slammed right into Edward. If he hadn't have caught me I could have been on the ground writhing I pain. He let go once I was stable and stepped back.

"Hi," I said surprised.

"Hello."

"I take it you're not here for car repairs." I didn't bother with formal small talk. I wasn't in the mood for his elusive games.

"No, my father told me where to find you."

"You make it sound like you were looking for me. How did your dad—."

"He was your doctor," Edward said, answering my question before I was even done asking it. I had noticed that Edward and Dr. Cullen looked a lot alike but only in appearance really. Same eyes and same skin. Other than those two traits, they were near opposites. Dr. Cullen had very light blonde hair and was really tall. Edward was tall too but not that much. I guess they do look related. I mean I haven't seen Edward's mother so maybe he looks more like her. I gave myself a headache trying to sort it all. I started walking in the direction of the motel. Edward followed close behind.

"How's your jeep?"

I stopped. "You came to find me just to ask how my car was."

"No."

"Then why? You say I should stay away from you and yet you can't seem to stay away from me. Are you looking for a favor for saving my life or something?"

"I never ask anyone for favors."

"Then what do you want?" To be fair I was in a lot of pain and very irritated so the fact that he was being so persistent kind of upset me.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm being very pushy and fickle but…I don't know, something's just off about you that's got me curious."

"Off?"

"I didn't mean it like you think. Look just," he paused. "Just let me get to know you. Let me find out what it is that has me so mesmerized and I promise to get off your back."

I deliberated for a moment. I wasn't sure of whether or not to trust him seeing as how he keeps popping up at the most appropriate times unannounced. I decided it didn't matter.

"Fine," I said.

"What were your parents like?" Edward asked. He had been with me for a couple days asking me random questions like what my favorite color was, my favorite food, my bucket list, just a bunch of things that seemed unimportant to me. Regardless I humored him and answered every one. That day he had driven me out to an open field for a walk. There was a path there wide enough for him to walk beside me. The rain had subsided for the time being so we were safe from getting soaked. But it was still chilly. My arm was still in a sling to keep my ribs safe so my jacket was half on, half draped over my shoulder. I zipped it up and looked like a one-armed weirdo but at least I was warm.

"They were very adventurous. My mom was always dragging my dad on some crazy expedition before I was born. Even after I came along they loved to travel. I've been to so many places but most were when I was still real little. I'd like to revisit them one day. Kind of find out a little more of what had my parents so hooked."

"How did they die?"

I hesitated. The painful memory of my parents' death didn't exactly haunt me but it lingered.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"

"No, no. It's alright. My father was in the military around the time he and my mom got married. He had a lot of friends but made quite a few enemies too. Turns out, one of those enemies was in love with my mom. And when she married my dad, the guy resented them both. I was thirteen when it happened. He came to the house, pulled out a gun and shot my mother. He was going to shoot himself too. Figured that if he couldn't have her while he was alive maybe he could when he was dead, but he hadn't counted on my dad being there. He ran in, saw my mother shot and jumped at the guy. The gun went off and the only other bullet left was given to my father. Just goes to show that he and my mom were meant to be together, even after death."

"What sick monster would do something like that?"

"One that was hurting and confused."

Edward stopped. I stopped a few steps after and turned to face him. "You make it sound like it was an accident; like you're not even mad. That man killed your parents and you don't seem to be phased by it all."

I sighed. He didn't understand. "Edward," I said. "I've given new meaning to the phrase 'forgive and forget'. It's over with, and there is no reason to stay angry over something I couldn't have stopped." He just stared at me, puzzled. He seemed blown away by what I'd said and I wasn't surprised. I got that reaction every time I told the story.

I kept walking along the trail. I passed under a tall pine and one of the branches dropped a pinecone in front of me but before I had time to look up the mountain lion in the tree was already pouncing with a loud roar. I closed my eyes but nothing happened. I opened them to see Edward between me and the large cat. Too stunned to care that he had gotten there impossibly fast and had knocked the lion away from me I couldn't help but just stand and watch.

"Run!" I didn't move. "Cali, run!" Edward's words processed and I bolted up the trail. I ran and ran and didn't look back. Something told me that Edward could handle the lion on his own so I wasn't afraid for him. I stopped when I came upon a large rock formation. I had wandered deeper into the woods and off the trail. Needless to say I was lost but I was too busy catching my breath to worry about it at the moment. My breathing, and my heart, stopped though, when I heard the low grumble from behind me. Not the same one but a lion nonetheless was crouched behind me but before it could pounce something came out of nowhere and slammed into the side of it, knocking it behind one of the large rocks.

Just my luck, I evade one danger and now I'm tagged for every other one passing my way. And God help me and my idiotic curiosity I looked over the rock to see what exactly had just saved my life and I saw something I had never expected to see in my entire life. The very reason Edward had warned me of the danger that he was. I saw him, the lion's body and its blood dripping off his face. I didn't dare make the connection, but when his bloodthirsty eyes met mine it scared me so badly I slipped and slammed into the rock behind me, knocking myself into unconsciousness for the second time that week.

**Lifelike Fairytales**

My head pounded when I opened my eyes again. I was lying on a bed in a familiar room with a bandaged on my head. I looked around. It was dark but I could tell I was back in the motel room. I didn't immediately remember the events of the day, but when I did I was suddenly very much afraid, I caught my breath.

"Frightening isn't it?" I sat up so fast the movement caused my head to pound and my ribs ached immensely but I didn't care. My attention was on Edward sitting in the corner.

"What are you?" I asked, re-envisioning the blood on his face and the large cat at his feet.

"You know," he said bluntly.

I shook my head, doubtful. "It's not possible."

"It's not?" In an instant he was so close all I could see were his golden eyes. I tried to back up but due to the fact I was on a bed and there was a wall behind me I had nowhere to go. I was trapped in his gaze and afraid for my life. "Was that? Was anything you saw today possible? No. But it was real. No matter how many times you deny it, it was real. I am real, and everything I am is real. This is why I told you to stay away from me. This is why I'm dangerous." He backed off but I didn't relax. "I tried to get you to stay away, when in reality _I_ was the one who should have stayed away. Not only am I a hazard to myself, I'm a hazard to every human around me."

My eyes widened. Did he just say 'every _human_' around him? What does that make him? My silence didn't go unnoticed. He looked over at me from across the room where he had slowly made his way to.

"You know what I am, but I'll tell you anyway. According to the old Quileute legend, we are called the _cold ones_. In formal terms we are known as blood drinkers. But the most common name we bear is _Vampire_." I gulped.

"Heh. You believe me." It wasn't a question, and it was true. I did believe him, and as I saw Edward come out of the monster I had seen earlier, I became less afraid. I relaxed but never took my eyes off him. He was leaning up against the wall nonchalantly but his eyes told a different story. He hated himself for putting me in danger simply by being around me.

"I can't believe I've done it to you too," he said softly.

"What's that?" I asked, cautiously. Did I really want to know? Yes. Should I have asked? No. I quickly found that out.

"I've put you in the same danger I had Bella." My eyes widened. "I told you before that we were inseparable. I meant that in the most literal way possible. I loved her, she loved me and I was too selfish to stay away and keep her safe. Actually staying away was more dangerous than being with her."

"What are you saying, Edward?" My using his name this time told him that it was alright to come a little closer. He sat on the other bed and turned on the light.

"I'm saying that I'm older than you think, and that Bella was my world. My body died the day I was turned, but my soul died the day I lost her. The pain is too much to live with."

By this point I was no longer afraid. Instead I felt his pain as it emanated in his eyes. Edward and I shared a commonality. We both had lost someone we loved dearly. His, more recent and more dear; mine, distant and full of longing. I connected with him, even if he was a vampire.

"It's so irritating," he said suddenly.

"What is?"

"That I can't see what you're thinking."

My face gave away my confusion. "When I was 'reborn' I developed a special ability. I can hear what people are thinking."

"But you can't hear me?"

Edward laughed. "No. Just like Bella."

"You couldn't see her thoughts either?"

"No. Just another thing you have in common with her."

"Another thing?"

"Yes, I couldn't read Bella's mind, but I also couldn't resist her scent." That one caught me off guard. I froze thinking that he's still hungry, even after the two mountain lions. He laughed at my facial expression. "I didn't mean it like that," he said. "It's more of an aura than a scent. The fragrance you release is nothing like Bella's, but I still can't resist it." He stared at me and I could see his nostrils flaring a couple times as he tried to catch my "scent."

"You keep confusing me," I said. "I don't know whether to be more comfortable with you or to turn and run for the hills out of fear for my life."

"Wouldn't save you. As you've seen I'm too fast for you to outrun me."

"Why bother telling me any of this?" It was a very random question but it suddenly occurred to me that Edward was doing exactly what he was trying not to do, get close to me. I didn't know how that would affect this now brewing friendship.

"I don't know," he answered softly. "I just feel like I can trust you." That made me feel a little braver but I was still secretly afraid of him beyond words. He's a vampire. Could _I_ trust _him_?

"How's your head?"

"Hurts." Edward nodded and disappeared then reappeared with a bottle of Advil and water. I more than willingly took four pills and downed the water.

"Oh the mechanic called he said that the repairs on your jeep are major so it'll take about a week to fix it."

"Ugh, great," I groaned.

"You don't sound too excited."

"Would you be?"

"Do you plan on staying _here_ the entire week?" he asked.

"You got a better idea?" I challenged.

"As a matter of fact I do." He stood up. "Pack up your things I'll go ahead and check you out." Before I could even begin to protest, Edward was out the door. I made an irritated noise then got up and started packing.

"Everyone keeps telling me to sell this place but I can't seem to part with it," he said as he opened my door for me. He had taken me to a two-story house with a large tree in the front yard. I studied it as Edward got my bags out of the trunk.

"It's a lot nicer inside," he said, "and warmer." I was shivering from the mist that was around us so I followed him inside. The first thing I saw was the entryway with a coat rack and a closet, immediately adjacent to the stairs that lead to the second floor. Edward had gone left into the small kitchen where there was a dining table and two chairs. Off to the right of the kitchen was the living room. There were two chairs, a television and what looked to be a newly installed fireplace. On the mantle-piece was a series of pictures. I drew nearer to take a closer look. About three or four of them were of three people: a man; a woman, whom I expected to be his wife; and their little girl. The rest were of the daughter, school pictures that progressed from very young years to about seventeen. I recognized the pictures from the funeral and saw Bella's familiar face.

"Edward where are we?" I asked. I noticed he was roaming his fingertips over the most recent picture of Bella. He pulled his hand away and looked at me.

"Come on. There's more upstairs." I followed him as he glided up the stairway and through the door at the top. The room we had entered was small but had a good view at the front of the house where I saw Edward's Volvo in the drive.

"This is where Bella used to live," he said. "Personally I think it's far better than a motel room."

"Edward, are you sure it's okay for me to stay here? I mean this is Bella's room. You're honestly okay with having another girl sleep in here? Let alone in her old home."

"Yes. I wouldn't have brought you here if I wasn't. After Bella died I never dreamed of selling this house. I was too attached to the memories. So is my sister, Alice."

"Your sister?"

"Uh, yeah. I have two sisters and two brothers. They're all pretty much the same as I. Pale, skin as hard and cold as stone, gold eyes when our thirst is quenched, black when they're not..." He paused there as if to test my reaction to that. I had only thought about asking him about his diet once and I was far too scared at the time. Now seemed like a good time, since he brought it up. But did I really want to know? Apparently.

"So, what do you do to achieve 'quenched'."

He hesitated wondering how I would react to his answer. "Based on moralistic reasons, my family and I prefer to feed on animals rather than humans. It was hard at first but I managed to get used to it." His eyes were cautious as I started to ask my next question.

"What happened at f—"

"_Edward,"_ the new voice was coming from outside.

"Who's that," I asked but almost at the exact same instant Edward grabbed my arm and pulled me out from in front of the window.

"Whatever you do, stay here," he demanded sharply. "And don't go near the window." I nodded out of fear as his golden eyes pierced me with concern. The next second he was gone and I heard the front door close behind him. Completely against his will I went and sat beneath the window so that I could hear the words being transferred but I was either too far away to hear or they were whispering, leaving me with no choice but to do as he asked. I stood up and went to lie down on the bed.

For the time Edward was outside I stared at the ceiling and traced out images in the crackled material that coated it. I for some reason felt extremely tired, so I closed my eyes and let the silence carry me away to sleep, but only for a moment. I only had an instant to react when the door had swung open, making me sit straight up—which made my ribs throb—and see a young man, not much older than Edward, staring at me with those dark, fear inflicting eyes that Edward possessed when we first met. I had a gut instinct to think that he was one of Edward's brothers but what scared me, was that he was thirsty. I then noticed Edward standing between the other vampire and the bed on which I sat. He was crouched just like he was with the lion, ready to protect me if need be.

"I can't believe you're doing this to yourself," the young man said. "Edward when are you going to realize that getting close to humans isn't healthy for you, especially this soon after…" He let the words hang. He had this pained look on his face that was half concerned and have strained. His hair was a dark blonde and hung in messy curls around his face. Although I could only see the back of his head, I knew that Edward was glowering at him in a way that would make me freeze on the spot.

"Get out," Edward hissed. The other vampire dared a warning glare at me and then disappeared down the stairs and out the door. There was the faint sound of a car engine coming to life and I relaxed a bit. My eyes, though, remained on the doorway. Something suddenly didn't feel right and I realized I wasn't breathing. I inhaled deeply, enjoying the air, and fell back on the bed. My breathing was uneven and hoarse as I recomposed myself from the experience of staring into the eyes of a thirsty vampire.

"Are you alright?" Edward's voice was smooth but his tone was still a little agitated. Also he was standing by the window, away from me.

"I'm fine," I said softly, not bothering to sit up again. "Who was that?" I asked.

"My brother Jasper," he answered with a bite in his voice. I could tell his jaw was tight. I sat up so I could look at him. His eyes gazed out the window and they were cold and hard as ever. I thought to stand next to him and try to calm him down, but banished the idea almost as soon as I had thought of it.

Half an hour of silence later I got hungry so Edward offered to make me dinner. I would have done it myself but the fact that one of my arms was bound in a sling was just asking for an accident. As much as I liked Edward's father, I didn't really want to see him under those circumstances again.

"This is the safest time, you know," Edward said as he stirred the spaghetti. I looked up and saw his eyes set on the nearly black sky.

"Safest time?" I asked.

"Yes. Twilight is the very ending of a day, and the very beginning of the night. The thin gap of time is the safest for me to be around you."

"Hm." It wasn't very much of a response but my mind was somewhere else. Jasper showing up today gave me a new perspective on Edward and his family (or those of which I actually knew). They were vampires and they were dangerous. I had already seen what Edward can do. I didn't want to see what his family could do. The very idea gave me the chills and I shivered.

"What's wrong?" he asked. The question caught me off guard and there was no way of wiggling out of it.

"Huh?"

"Are you okay?" he asked again. "You seem distracted." I hesitated in answering and God knows how, but he guessed what I was thinking. "Don't worry about Jasper," he said. "He's just worried about me." He sat down, placing a plate of yummy looking spaghetti in front of me. "They all are. I sometimes wish they'd just leave me alone."

"Well they're your family. It's their job to worry about you." He gave a small half smile that left as soon as it came. I took a bite of spaghetti and was in heaven.

"Oh mah goff," I said, mouth full.

"What?" he asked amused.

I swallowed. "I said, oh my gosh. This is delicious. Where'd you learn to cook?"

"Bella." I froze for a second, unsure of what to say. So I didn't say anything. I turned back to my pasta.

Desperate to keep the silence at bay I thought of something to talk about. "So did you and Bella, um share this place or…"

"This was her father's home. She was living with him when I had first met her. Heh, heh. The things that man wished he could do to me. He nearly shot me one time."

My eyes bulged and I nearly choked on the noodles. "Oh my gosh! Why?"

"I left. Long story short, Bella thought I was going to kill myself so she came after me only leaving him a note saying that she needed to help me. When we got back he wanted me out of his sight and out of his jurisdiction. He was the chief of police and had all the power he needed to arrest me, regardless of whether or not he had a reason. Not that I really needed to be, but I was on my guard every day after that. Especially since Bella would never let me out of her sight." The memory seemed to make him slightly happy, but it hurt him too. He missed Bella, and I didn't blame him. He loved her, there's really no way of getting over someone you love that dearly.

"Can I say something?" he asked.

"You just did." His eyes narrowed.

"Go ahead," I said shakily.

"I'm very selfish," he started. "I wouldn't have let you stay here, let alone keep contact with you, if I wasn't so interested."

"Interested in what?" I asked.

"You. You remind me so much of Bella. When I'm with you, it's like she's still around. I thought—maybe—if you lived here, it would feel like old times again." He stopped to study my expression. When he saw nothing, he continued. "I never intended to treat you the same way I did her. I just see so much of her in you."

I surprisingly wasn't upset. Edward had once said that Bella and I were very different from each other so I was a little confused as to how I could remind him of her. Maybe it was because I knew what he was that made it feel right again. Aside from Bella, I think I was the only other human who ever knew about his true nature. That made me feel a little special but then it didn't because this was a dangerous secret to keep.

"You're not upset?" there was a hint of surprise in his tone.

"Not really. Actually I'm sort of flattered that you would think of me that way."

Edward shook his head slightly. "You're so much like her," he said. "And yet so different." He was talking more to himself than me but in an effort to avoid silence I kept up the conversation.

"Tell me how I'm different," I said.

"Well for starters you don't get into as much trouble as she did. Then again I did enjoy saving her a lot." I laughed a little then continued. "You also don't take offense to things that would have made Bella very angry. For example when I asked her to marry me…" He smiled as he pictured Bella's reaction. Then slowly, that smile began to fade. "You also don't have anything to lose." I looked puzzlingly at him.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"Bella had a father, mother, step-father and friends who cared about her immensely. You should have seen all the guys at our school. They couldn't stay away from her—much like how she couldn't stay away from me." The laughter that had risen up from his chest as he spoke drifted away. He looked at me intently.

Edward chuckled and it sounded almost menacing. Then he leaned in toward me and was abruptly very close to my face. I didn't react, but froze instead. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"I want to try something, if it's okay with you." I felt his cold hand touch my neck. The chill zapped through my body as he lightly ran his fingers over my skin. My heart started beating faster but I kept my breathing under control. I was more thankful he couldn't read my thoughts now than I had ever been before. I was scared he would do something like bite me but I was never expecting what really came next.

He slowly moved his hand to the back of my neck and _very_ slowly, he touched his lips to mine. The icy feeling was shocking, keeping me frozen in the position I was in. He held me there for almost a minute before finally releasing me. My head had told me to react to the kiss but my body told me to stay put, although, I did close my eyes for the time. He was a good kisser; very gentle and very sweet. It was perfect.

When Edward pulled back, I opened my eyes and reminded myself to breathe again. His hand was still caressing my neck gingerly. "That's another difference," he whispered. "Bella almost killed herself trying to kiss me. But you, you didn't even move."

"It's kind of hard to when you're being kissed by someone who looks and acts like they jumped out of a story book. And can take out two mountain lions with his bare hands without a second thought." He smiled his crooked smile.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked.

"Sure," I replied, still stunned.

"Do I dazzle you?" I wasn't sure if dazzle was the right word for it, but I gave him the credit for it.

"Yes," I lied. He bought it, much to my disbelief and surprise. I had always been a marginal liar but I didn't expect him to not see through my deceptive eyes.

"I seem to have that affect on everyone." He sat back in his chair but I still couldn't move.

"I should go," he said. He was standing by the door in half a second and the movement woke me up. I looked in his direction. "Before I do," he continued. "Will you do something for me?"

"Yes," I said, my voice more composed and sturdy.

"There's one thing that you absolutely must do."

"What's that?" suddenly he was next to me again.

"Be safe," he whispered. He leaned down and gently pressed his forehead to mine and he was gone.

I lay in bed that night and contemplated what he meant by, 'Be safe'. It seemed like an innocent enough request but I still saw something in his eyes that brought up a whole new meaning of the question. Why would he ask me that? Because he'd saved me twice since I'd been in Forks? Or was it just because he felt afraid of something? I couldn't tell, nor could I keep the thought in my head long enough to figure it out. I finished my dinner, stuck the rest in the fridge and headed straight to bed. I was exhausted and crashed as soon as my head hit the pillow.

**The Cullens**

The grey light shone in through the window. I checked the clock to see that it was nine-thirty. This was the first morning here that I'd actually slept in. My ribs were healing but they still hurt like hell, forcing me to get up earlier every day. I felt refreshed with the extra sleep and was thankful that the pills Dr. Cullen had given me were working, finally. I pranced downstairs for a cup of coffee and breakfast.

The chorizo and eggs were the best I'd had since my father had last made them for me. The memory of watching him make them made me smile. He always had fun when he cooked. I learned all my cooking from him and a few recipes from my mother. The reminder was sort of refreshing.

When the dishes were all clean and everything put away, the smell of chorizo still hung in the air making me feel very much at home. I gazed out of the kitchen window at the deep green trees across the road. A thought entered my mind and I looked up to see a very cloudy sky but no promise of rain.

Walks had been a past time of mine for quite a while. The forest had an inviting and welcoming essence to it so I put on some warm clothes and a jacket, slinging it around my bound up shoulder, and strolled out onto the trail. Although there was no sign of rain, it was pretty cold. But the canopy of tree branches blocked out the wind making it slightly warmer. Foreign bird calls rang through the tree-tops as I passed by. I thought of my little Colorado 'home-town' and what was happening since I hadn't returned on schedule. No one had called my phone or even text me so I figured I wasn't missed. I was somewhat shocked to find that I didn't really care all that much about it. Why should I care about where I lived when I had this place to spend my days in?

My thoughts had drifted so deep that I had completely lost track of what I was doing. I looked up to see that I had wandered off the trail and into the woods. I looked behind me and didn't see the trail. Before I panicked, I took a deep breath. This wasn't the first time I had done this. Sometimes I would even try to get lost on purpose in the mountains of Colorado, but somehow I never could because I knew the terrain so well.

Here was different. I didn't know the area at all and I had accidentally gotten lost, which was even worse than intentionally doing it. I did the first thing I could think of. I backtracked the way I came but didn't seem to be getting anywhere. At a certain point I gave up backtracking and sat on a rock. I dug through my memories of Forks, the directions things were and where. Nothing came to me, my mind was blank and no matter what I did all I could think about was Edward, who'd been MIA for four days. A strike of thunder suddenly echoed through the forest. For a moment it sounded like just after the thunder, something else sounded. I listened and heard it again.

I was headed in the direction the whacking—as I had named the sound—had come from. It was coming within random intervals and getting louder as I drew closer. The trees had become much thicker and harder to see through but I weaved my way through them easily. As the whacking grew louder a clearing in the trees was beginning to appear in front of me. Less than five feet away the whack came again and this time it was so loud it could have been right next to me. Then, just before I entered the clearing, two other sounds reached my ears. The first, sounded like two boulders hitting against each other; the second was laughter. This confused me. I stopped where I was to consider what I would find beyond the thin wall of trees.

What was in the clearing? A few things immediately came to mind: kids throwing rocks; some sort of mill; or people having target practice. Before I could do anything else, the whacking stopped, as did the laughter and the crushing of boulders, and all was completely silent. The next thing I knew, two cold and very strong hands spun me around and pinned me against a tree. I tried to break free to no avail. I opened my eyes to see a beautiful, blonde-haired girl staring at me with dark eyes that were much the same as Edward's were that first time I saw him and Jasper's when I saw him the previous day.

She glared at me in fury. I didn't move, her ice-cold grip stinging me as she squeezed harder and harder. I wasn't afraid though, she was menacing, yes, but she seemed so familiar to me that I had no sense of fear of her in the least. Suddenly her top lip curled upward showing her pearly white teeth. I felt my eyes widen but still no fear. A snarl built up in her chest and she was suddenly on the ground, releasing me from her iron grip. My feet hit the ground, then my knees. My lungs let out a very deep breath. I didn't notice I wasn't breathing. A pair of feet was standing between me and the angry girl and I looked up to see Edward in a defensive pose. I couldn't see his face but I knew, yet again, that he wasn't happy.

I got up and started to run the opposite direction when something stopped me. A cold arm was wrapped around my shoulder, preventing me from going anywhere anytime soon.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked. Edward's voice had a teasing note to it but at the same time he was menacing. But I still wasn't afraid. I noticed then that my feet were at least a foot off the ground.

"Can you put me down, please?" I asked seriously. He set me on the ground, but never let go. I had intended to turn around and look him straight in the eye, but since he obviously didn't want me to, I spoke in the most serious voice I could muster.

"I've obviously interrupted something," I said. "I just wanted to get out of here before _she_ got rid of me." I gestured to blonde. His arm loosened and I turned to face him. He was wearing a worn out baseball jersey and a cap and across his face was the biggest smile I had ever seen on him. It brightened up his face so much that I couldn't continue. What had happened in the four days he was gone that would turn him into this image of an eight-year-old at his first baseball game? I

"Trust me there is no way you can interrupt this," he said smoothly.

"What…what exactly are you doing?" I stuttered. He laughed at my impaired speech. It was a _little_ funny. He grabbed my hand and dragged me back.

"I'll show you."

"Wait!" I said urgently. He stopped, inspecting my expression. "What about the girl?"

His face went coarse. In a second he was close to me so that I could hear him whisper. "Don't worry about Rosalie," he said. "You just caught her by surprise—you caught all of us actually." He smiled again, but my face didn't change.

"All of us?" I muttered.

"Yes, my whole family's here," he answered, concern etched in his perfect face.

Now I was a little bit scared. I was no longer as afraid of Edward as I had been, but his family was a whole different story. My nerves were still racked from Jasper's visit the last night and I wasn't sure that his sister was any better. My face obviously showed my anxiety.

"It's ok," Edward said. "I won't let them hurt you." That made me feel better, but then I grew worried that I would be standing between Edward and his relationships with the members of his family. "Neither will Carlisle." I shot up hopeful eyes at him.

The reminder of Edward's father made me feel better about the situation. So I let him lead me back to the opening in the trees. We stepped out into the clearing and there they were; the other six members of Edward's vampire family. I recognized Jasper, Carlisle, and the blonde-haired girl—whom Edward said was Rosalie—at once. Among the three that I knew there were two more women. One was small with short, dark hair and the other tall and gracefully proportioned. The last member of Edward's family was a very tall, broad and muscular man. To me, he was as big as a bear.

Within all these different faces I saw two similarities; each and every one of them were bone-pale with golden, or dark, eyes that were all fixed on me. I cowered back a bit as some were rather unfriendly. I heard Edward growl quietly and looked up to see his gaze set intently on Rosalie.

"Edward?" the taller of the three women spoke. "Are you going to introduce us to your friend?" Edward's tenseness subsided and he smiled.

"This is Cali." I felt his strong hand on my shoulder as a comforting gesture. I let out a shallow sigh of relief.

"Cali," he started, "This is my mother, Esme." The woman who spoke stepped forward and shook my hand delicately.

"It's a pleasure," she said.

I smiled and shook her hand. I looked back at the rest of the Cullens. "You already know Carlisle and Jasper."

"Hello Dr. Cullen," I said. Carlisle smiled.

"Cali, please, call me Carlisle." I smiled.

My gaze moved to Jasper's face. "Jasper," he looked at me and I smiled gently, trying to show no sign of the fear I felt the day we had informally.

"And this is Rosalie," he gestured to the blonde-haired girl. She glared at me with her dark hungry eyes so I avoided them. Next was the small girl with dark hair and the grizzly boy.

"And last but not least, Emmet and Alice." Alice smiled. She was so cute she reminded me of a pixie, with her short cropped hair and tiny figure.

"It's wonderful to meet you Cali," she said. I noticed that she didn't approach me to shake my hand as Esme had. I looked to her eyes and saw that they were black like Rosalie's. I smiled and nodded. The pattern with these people was if their eyes were dark you don't bother them. I wasn't sure why but I filed that question away to ask Edward later. Next the large boy that was Emmet approached and held out his hand. I grabbed it and squeezed as I shook it. Emmet then let out such a thunderous laugh it made me jump as it escaped his throat.

"It's an admirable effort but you'll have to be a lot stronger to out-squeeze this vampire." His formal use of the word didn't vex me. I felt Edward shake with a chuckle beside me.

"Well this is it," he said, "one big, happy, vampire family." He edged his face toward me at the word "vampire." As the word did not affect me as they had expected. I was surprised that Edward and Emmet used it so often. I shrugged and ignored it.

"So," I started. "Are you guys playing baseball or throwing rocks at each other?" I asked teasingly. Emmet let out another loud laugh, making me jump again.

"We're playing _our_ version of baseball," said Edward. He obviously saw the confusion in my eyes for he laughed and removed his arm from my shoulder. "Just watch," he said. All of a sudden only Esme was left standing beside me. My eyes went wide with the sudden change of pace.

"You'll enjoy this," she said. "They like to show off when they have visitors."

"You don't play?" I asked her.

"I do. But I figured you'd want someone to hang out with while you watched." I smiled. I liked Esme. She was very sweet and had that motherly look in her eyes. She eyed my bound arm but tried to not let me see it. I guessed that Carlisle had told her about my accident. She looked more worried about my state than anything else so I brushed it off. It was nice to have that motherly concern around again. It had been a while and I missed it. The sound of the first hit found my ears and the game continued.

**An Unwanted Visitor**

The way that Edward and his family played baseball was incredible. The thunder was necessary because when the ball hit the bat, it made that loud thwacking I heard in the forest. The sound of boulders hitting against each other came from two vampires colliding with each other.

The whole experience was breathtaking and it ended when the storm over Forks moved on. The bulk of the Cullens went north while Edward stayed behind to walk me back to the house. I automatically started back the way I came with Edward gliding beside me. We were both silent for a while, until Edward broke the silence.

"So what did you think?" he asked.

"It was…entertaining. I wasn't really expecting it."

"Expecting what?" he laughed. "The thundering hits or the blinding speed?"

I smiled. I didn't quite have an answer for that. "It was kind of all of it," I said anyway. "I've never seen anything like your family. They're really nice." I looked at him and his expression was bleak. I stopped. "What's wrong?" I asked. He stared off into the trees, as if he was waiting for something to appear out of the mist.

"Edward?" he looked at me with sad eyes.

"The last human to ever see us play was Bella. She was put in danger then. Three others of our kind came and one of them became obsessed with hunting her. You see, the three of them were different from us. They hunted humans whereas we hunt animals." Well that answered the question I never got to ask him. "The tracker was fixated with hunting Bella. It was a game to him, and it was my fault. I reacted and…" He seemed angry but he continued nonetheless. "Eventually my family and I caught up with him before he could hurt her more than he already had." His face grew tense and cross making me take a step back out of caution.

"What happened to him?"

"I killed him." He looked away.

"How exactly do you do that? Kill a vampire, I mean. I wouldn't expect the involvement of wooden stakes." He drew his gaze back to me.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked.

"Yes." Although I wasn't exactly sure I did. The next thing I knew Edward pinned me up against a tree with both of his hands on either side of my head.

"You rip him to shreds and then burn all the pieces. That is the only way to kill a vampire." His voice was hard, serious and almost frightening and his eyes were hard, full of hatred and anger.

"Bella made it though," I said more than I asked.

"She did," he said, a bit calmer now. "No thanks to her carelessness. She ran to him thinking he held her mother hostage."

"He didn't though, did he?"

"No, he didn't." he shifted his gaze away again. "You're afraid," he said. He must be able to hear my heartbeat because it was going mad.

"No, just concerned."

"About what?"

"You. You seem so upset that you can't keep your head on straight." He laughed.

"Interesting choice of words," he said maniacally. He turned back to me, his eyes blazing. My first thought was that he was going to bite me, but then his expression changed into caring and gentle. I relaxed and focused on seeming calm and collected. He stood there staring at me for a moment. "I wonder why things are so different with you."

"Well I'm not Bella. And I don't think I'd be worth it for a dangerous vampire."

"We're all dangerous," he whispered.

"You know what I mean."

"I don't when you say you're not worth it."

"Would it be worth it to someone worse than you to hunt me if they've heard of what happened?"

"That would depend on how desperate they are." His eyes suddenly showed a great deal of caring and concern.

Before I could do anything he leaned in and kissed me on the mouth. As before I didn't move under his touch, but I did part my lips under his and kissed him back. Edward pulled back after about ten seconds and stared at me.

"It's late," he whispered, still insanely close to me. "I should get you back."

"Why? Not like anyone's there waiting for me." I never understood why I wanted to stay there and just kiss him for a while. I guess it was my hormones trying to get the best of me. At least Edward had some self control.

"Actually, there is." I stared at him, puzzled. "Just hang on." He pulled me onto his back and we were suddenly moving shockingly fast through the trees. All I could see as Edward raced through the forest was a green blur. He didn't even seem to be running at all, but gliding. The experience was magnificent and I hardly noticed when it ended.

Edward pulled me off his back, breaking my hold around his neck effortlessly and put an arm around my waist; we were on the edge of the road across the street from the house. Parked in front was a lifted, black Dodge Ram with a Colorado license plate that read "ETMYDST" meaning "Eat My Dust". My heart stopped, as did my feet, as I realized who the truck belonged to. And just as soon as I had thought it, a tall man about twenty-five years old stepped out and glared at me.

The moment I saw him my mind raced back to when I had just started living on my own. I rented a house and eventually bought it with the money I raised from work. I couldn't make the payments and almost got kicked out when Jordan Springer helped me out by paying the rest of it. I was extremely grateful to him. His price though I didn't expect. Jordan told me that in return for paying for the house I was to go work for him at the local bar as a bartender. I agreed but after two months he started abusing me. Every time he got drunk his hands would come down hard on my face, arms, chest and anything else that would bruise. I tried quitting but he threatened to take the house payment so I couldn't leave. I tried telling the cops but never had any evidence to support myself—nor a lawyer to help me in court. Jordan was like an abusive husband, minus the wedding band. The mere sight of him scared me to death.

I froze where I was and my hands started shaking. If it weren't for Edward holding me up my knees would have buckled, resulting in me lying on the ground in fear. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it desperately.

"I thought I told you to come back," Jordan said. I knew I had to respond so I gathered up all the courage I could.

"I don't have to do anything you say, Jordan," I said sternly. "You're not my father." Jordan smiled maliciously and laughed.

"You just don't get it, do you?" he laughed. His eyes swung to Edward. "And who's this? I let you have a vacation and you repay me by skipping town getting yourself banged up and start hanging out with the local trash. Makes me sick. Now, let's go. I'm taking you back." Jordan started to approach then Edward pushed me behind him so fast it was like it didn't even happen.

"What are you gonna do, huh?" Jordan's voice bellowed, enraged. I buried my face into Edward's back.

"Please get rid of him?" I whispered, knowing that he could hear me very clearly. I heard the desperation in my voice, but I was unashamed. I knew that Edward could do whatever it took to protect me.

"You need to leave," he said defensively.

"I'm not going anywhere without that girl; she belongs to me," said Jordan.

"She doesn't belong to anyone," Edward growled. I was admittedly more scared of Edward than I was of Jordan, but I stayed close to him nonetheless.

"Just hand her over, and no one gets hurt."

"Leave." Edward's voice was so menacing now that I backed off a little to give him room in case his instincts got the best of him. I looked passed his shoulder to see Jordan only a few feet away. His eyes were blazing with anger and when he made eye contact with me I couldn't help myself; I ran. I sprinted through the trees and didn't dare look back. There was an angry scream from behind me then a loud slam into what could have been Jordan's truck. The alarm went off and I guessed that Edward had thrown Jordan into the side of his own vehicle. The moment passed so slowly I longed for it to end. I wanted to be safe in Edward's arms again and know that Jordan was gone and would never come back to hurt me. That's when I tripped. I looked up and saw the flicker of head lights through the trees as Jordan drove away. The next instant, Edward was beside me. He had me in his arms in an instant and disregarding the pain it caused to my ribs and dug my face into his chest because that's where I felt safest. "Oh god, I never want to see his ugly face again," I breathed. Edward held me close as I breathed slowly, very near tears.

"I'm staying with you tonight," he said. I looked up at his face.

I didn't feel selfish upon accepting the offer. I didn't want to be alone that night, especially not with Jordan around. Knowing him the coward would go to the police.

Edward lifted me off the ground and we were gliding again. Suddenly we were in Bella's room on the bed. He set me down then lied down beside me. I was still trying to control my breathing. I didn't want to talk, just lay there and breathe and try to forget about Jordan. I closed my eyes as Edward pulled me into him.

My head rested on his chest and I could feel his cold skin even through his shirt. My eyes opened and I ran my hand along his torso, feeling the contours of his body. He inhaled deeply and I withdrew my hand.

"Sorry," I said. "I shouldn't have done that."

"I shouldn't have lied next to you. Then you _wouldn't_ have done that," he replied. I turned my head so I could see his face.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that if I knew you were going to do something like that and I didn't want you to then I wouldn't be here right now."

"So, you're saying that you _want_ me to do that?"

"In an intriguing way, yes." I didn't answer that, but merely lied back down on his chest and closed my eyes. My fingers played with the iron-on pattern of his jersey when he lifted my face towards him with his hand. He didn't kiss me, though. Instead he just stared at me, at my eyes.

"I can't stand not knowing what you're thinking right now. It's frustrating as hell."

"Well even if you could read my mind you'd be out of luck because all I was thinking about was my fingers moving and why you were starting at me so intently. At least now I know that that look means you're trying to figure me out." He smiled then his expression changed. His eyes moved to the door and he looked furious and irritated as hell.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"That bastard!" he hissed.

"Edward, what is it?"

"Jordan, he went and got the police. He told them that I kidnapped you and then beat him when he tried to get you back." Figures. Damn coward. Edward was up in a second and standing by the window. The sound of a car pulling up reached my ears. Suddenly, an idea struck me.

"Edward, get away from the window," I said excitedly. I ran to pull him away from the view of our visitors and towards the door. "I have an idea." I ran downstairs meeting Edward at the bottom. I went to the kitchen and grabbed a mug and filled it with water and pretended like I was drinking something hot. "Ok, I want you to do something. I know for a fact that Jordan will send the cop in first—being the coward that he is—so I need you to hide from him but when Jordan comes in I want you to let him see you. Do you get what I'm saying?" I toned my voice down and went to turn on the television as I heard the voices come up the walk.

"Let him see me but make the officer think he's hallucinating. I get it."

"Good. Make me proud." The doorbell rang, Edward disappeared, and I went to get the door. I put on a sweater I had hung in the hallway, draping it over my slung right shoulder and opened the door. Sure enough a police officer was standing there, with Jordan standing behind him.

"Good evening miss," the officer said, he sounded surprised. His eyes were on my right arm only for a second then back up at my face.

"Is something wrong officer?" I asked, pretending ignorance.

"Actually I'm not too sure. This gentleman here says that he was over here earlier and saw you being pulled inside this house against your will by a young man, is that true?"

"No officer I'm afraid it's not. I've been the only one here for the last couple days."

"Yeah right, where is that pale son of a bitch?" The officer turned to look at him and I glowered. His eyes got wide and I supposed that Edward had appeared behind me. Jordan pointed, confirming my suspicion.

"There; that's him, that's the guy!" The officer turned as did I but there was no one there. I turned back, confused.

"There's no one here," I said. "And honestly I would prefer that _you_ weren't here either." The officer heard the hate in my voice and saw it in my eyes as I stared Jordan down.

"Miss, do you mind if I have a look around inside?

"No of course not." I stepped aside and allowed them both to enter the house. I flinched when Jordan passed me. I quickly closed the door and went to the kitchen.

"Can I get you something to drink, officer?" I called.

"No thank you, I just need to inspect the premises and be on my way."

"Alright, well, do what you need." There was a moment of silence as he moved up the stairs.

"I know he's in here," Jordan said. He was only a few feet behind me. I stopped what I was doing and almost froze if I didn't remember that I needed to keep playing my part in getting rid of the monster once and for all. I turned to face him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I went to the sink and poured out the contents of my coffee mug.

"I think you do," he was closer now. My heart raced as I thought of a way to get away from him without blowing my cover. Thankfully, the officer came back down the stairs and I brushed past Jordan to get to him.

"Well there's no one up stairs," he said. "Are you sure you saw someone, sir?" His question was directed at Jordan.

"Positive," he spat.

"It's like I told you before, there isn't anyone here but me."

"There he is behind you!" Jordan yelled. The officer pulled out a gun and spun around to point it at the wall. He dropped it down, irritated as hell with Jordan's outburst.

"Sir, if you do that one more time, I am out of here and you will be on your way to the station in a straight jacket."

"He's in here, I know he is. I saw him with her this afternoon and he threw me against my truck when I tried to get to her."

I froze, I'd forgotten all about the dent that Jordan's head had undoubtedly made in the side of the Dodge when Edward threw him. I realized that they might have noticed my reaction so I turned to look at Jordan stunned.

"Are you crazy or something? There's no one here, _I_ wasn't even here this afternoon."

"You weren't?" the officer asked.

"No, I went for a walk. I just got back like an hour ago." The officer looked at Jordan suspiciously.

"Sir I'm gonna have to ask you to show me the evidence that you were thrown against your vehicle."

"Fine," Jordan said brightly. He rushed out the door and over to his truck. The motion detector light came on and Jordan stared in disbelief at his truck. "I swear there was a dent in the door," he said. The officer walked around and examined the door. Nothing; he stood up straight.

"Sir, please walk around the vehicle and place your hands on your head."

"What?"

"Just do as I asked and there won't be any trouble."

"No way in hell are you arresting me for something I know I saw."

"Maybe you should arrest him for assault and worker abuse," I said.

"What was that miss?" the officer asked stunned.

"His name is Jordan Springer, he is my former boss. I worked for him at a bar in Ash Point, Colorado and he's beaten, verbally abused and threatened me and my co-workers. That's lasted for three years and I decided I needed a break. In case that wasn't clear enough," turning my attention to Jordan, "I quit, permanently." By now the officer had Jordan pinned to the hood of his truck and was putting on handcuffs. When he had him in the back of his cruiser he looked back at me.

"Miss, I'm very sorry for intruding on you, and I promise that he will be in jail for twenty to life when I'm finished with him."

"Thank you, officer. And I'm sorry you had to come all the way out here."

"I'm actually glad I did." He tipped his hat. "You have a nice evening ma'am."

"You too." He got in his cruiser and I watched as Jordan's expression went wild with anger as he saw Edward behind me. I walked back into the house and Edward was, indeed, waiting there for me. I closed the door behind me and smiled at him cleverly. "Well?" I asked.

"You're an evil genius," he said.

"I get that a lot." I went to the living room and turned off the television. I walked back into the entry-way and Edward looked at the door.

"We have another visitor," he said.

"Who?"

Two knocks hit the door. Edward opened it and tiny, little Alice was standing in the doorway.

"Hi, Edward," she said brightly. "Hi, Cali."

"Hi, Alice," I said raggedly. "What's up?"

"I just came to see if you're alright. That guy would have nothing on me but he is big for a human."

"I'm fine—were you here through for all that?"

"Actually, Alice can kinda sorta see the future," said Edward.

"Kinda sorta?"

Edward cocked his crooked smile. "It's her gift for joining the lesser of two evils."

"Oh. Well that's cool I guess." Alice smiled. She looked at Edward who shook his head.

"Well my duty is done. You should be pretty safe as long as Edward's here," she said. "Get some sleep. You look pretty tired." She gave me a quick hug. When she pulled back I could see that her eyes were the same color gold as Edward's. "I'll see you soon." She waved and disappeared into the darkness. Edward closed the door.

"Come on," he said. "You do look like you could use some sleep."

"What about you?" I asked as I let him pull me up the stairway.

"I don't sleep." He closed the bedroom door behind him. I shed my sweater then stood there awkwardly.

"What?" he asked, noticing my posture and expression.

"Uh, I need to get into my PJ's." His face caught on the understanding and he smiled.

"I'll be right outside if you need me."

**Angel's Calling**

The next few days rolled by slow enough for me and I was grateful to have Edward with me. My Jeep was all fixed up and I was allowed to take off the sling that had kept my right arm immobilized for the last week and a half. Everything I was waiting on was finished and I was starting to feel a bit uneasy about leaving everything in Colorado, and Edward could tell.

"Is something wrong?" he asked one day. I had been staring out the window of the kitchen wringing a dish towel in my hand to the point of tearing it and didn't even notice. I put the towel down and went to sit at the table. My head fell into my hands.

"Edward," I started. "I have to go back home." I looked up to see his face and it hadn't changed from its thoughtful expression. "This time that I've been here has been amazing, but I've left behind everything I've ever worked for and I feel like I'm letting someone down because of it." He remained silent, but his expression had changed from thoughtful to serious. He seemed a little angry. "I'm sorry but—"

"Don't apologize," he stated firmly. "You have no reason to. If anything what you're feeling is my fault. I've been selfish in keeping you here. Jasper was right. I've done it again." The last bit he said mostly to himself. After a moment of thinking he turned back to me. "Go. Our paths were never meant to intertwine. Your way is best for you. And I understand that."

"Somehow I don't think you do," I said. He glared at me curiously. I leaned forward on the table. "Edward, I feel as though my presence here has had a negative effect on you, emotionally. I know that I've reminded you a great deal of Bella and I am happy that you hadn't killed yourself after she died." I added this in because I wanted to tell him something about his life that still had purpose.

Edward had mentioned to me that when Bella was alive he left in order to sever the bond they had to keep her safe from harm. But during that time his sister Alice had seen Bella jump off a cliff thus he thought she was dead. He told me of a promise he made to Bella that if she ever died he would follow close behind.

This story of his made me sad and I made him promise not to do anything like that ever in his entire life. If it was his time to die, he would die, but I made him promise that it would not be by his hand.

"I feel like I'm a part of her, though," I continued. "I wouldn't consider it a bad thing, just an awkward thing. I never knew her, any of her family, or her friends, besides you. I just think that it's time we go our separate ways." Edward had watched me intently throughout my speech and now had sighed.

"You are right to," he whispered. "I should never have met you."

"No," I said quickly. "It wasn't wrong that we met. What you shouldn't have done was kiss me that first time. That's what really hit it off."

"What do you mean? I thought you knew that that, or any of the others, meant nothing."

"I do. It's just that whenever you kissed me, I kept thinking of something. I created this theory that when you kiss someone it's the one way you can truly show that you love that person. I know that none of those kisses meant anything, but sometimes, I _thought_ they did."

He sighed. It wasn't the reaction I expected. Honestly, I didn't expect any reaction at all. His eyes were soft with understanding and kindness and I had to catch my breath again before my heart went nuts. I did and he didn't notice. Suddenly, his mouth widened into a smile.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I just realized something. I was remembering how we met and I noticed that it was exactly the same as when I met Bella, only under different circumstances."

"How so?" I asked.

"When I first saw you I was thirsty, the same as Bella. I first saved you from a vehicle, just like Bella. But the one difference that I can't possibly ignore is that for once, I'm the one who's being left behind. It's rather funny actually." He had started laughing. Oh, he was beautiful when he laughed. His eyes grew bright and his smile was wide, showing his glistening white teeth. I don't know why but every time I saw the pearl color of his teeth I grew somewhat afraid.

As everyone, I was taught that vampires had fangs, but it varied with the myths: some said that a vampire's fangs grew out when they were about to feed; others suggested that they stayed where they were just like regular teeth; but when I met Edward, those myths were dangerously contradicted. Edward had no fangs, no vampire did. Just perfectly shaped, crescent jaws that clamped down tight and hard through the skin of their victim.

I had thankfully learned how to contain this small fear that rose within me every time he smiled, so he wouldn't notice. Once he stopped laughing, his smile disappeared and he was serious again.

"I was so sure," he said, "that I wouldn't be able to handle you leaving. I was afraid that I would feel empty again. I thought I wouldn't be able to handle the loneliness. But now I see that you have filled up that emptiness inside of me. You made me whole again, Cali. And I thank you for that. You have my total and complete gratitude."

I stared at him in disbelief. This reaction was unbelievable. Edward was completely different than when I first met him, full of sorrow, remorse, grief, self-pity. It was sad just looking at him. But now, now he was smiling all the time; not a tear in sight, although his occasional desire for Bella came 'round every once in a while.

Edward reached over the table, laughing, and closed my gaping mouth. This happened every time he caught me by surprise. My mouth hung open, and Edward closed it for me. It was embarrassing actually, to look like that at every surprise or shocking moment.

"You're really okay with this, aren't you?" I asked.

"I am," he answered.

"Well, that makes me feel better. I'm sorry I have to leave so soon after—you know." I gestured at the kitchen around us but meant it for the whole house. "This."

"It's alright. I should probably sell it and forget about it anyway. Move on. Maybe I'll move to Alaska."

I laughed. His sarcasm was either funny or serious, but I could tell that this time it was funny. "Are you sure you'll be fine without me," I volleyed his sarcasm. He smiled his crooked smile, and that made me feel a whole lot better.

Two days passed and it was time for me to leave. All my bags were in the back of my jeep and I was ready to go. Edward helped me pack up and even filled up my front seat with every sugary snack item under the sun; which happened to be shining bright that morning, which meant that Edward was shining just as bright. He had informed me that, in the sunlight, a vampire's skin will sparkle as if it was embedded with thousands of tiny diamonds.

His eyes were bright, too. I couldn't understand why I could just leave and possibly forget about him completely. It was like my story started when I first arrived in Forks and will continue on even after I leave. Quite frankly I was okay with that.

We stood there on the front porch, neither of us really _willing_ to say goodbye; but doing so nonetheless.

"Say bye to the family for me?"

"Of course," he said. He smiled angelically.

Unable to control myself, I jumped up and threw my arms around his cold neck. He hugged me back, but only for a moment. I pulled back and looked him in the eye; my arms back down by my sides.

"Thank you, again," he said.

"You're welcome."

He reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope. "Here," he said handing it to me.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Something to help you with your rent. I saw everything in Jordan's mind so I figured why not keep from having it happen again. There should be enough there for a year or so." I stared at him in disbelief and he just laughed. "Come on." He opened the door and lifted me into the driver's seat. I started the engine as he closed the door then leaned out the open window.

"So will I see you in the future?"

"Perhaps, in the next life."

"You're impossible."

"No, I'll just be impossible to find."

"I bet I can figure out something."

"Don't. Remember I'm still a hazard to you."

"I'll keep that in mind. Well, goodbye, I guess."

"Goodbye." Without warning, he leaned in the window and kissed me one last time. Then he slowly disappeared from the sight of my rear view mirror. The long drive home gave me time to recollect the last week. Was I going to miss everyone I had met? Maybe. Would I look them up if I ever returned? Maybe not. Regardless of any of those, I learned many good things. And one of them was to never doubt the existence of that which has been said to not exist, because it may surprise you.

The End


End file.
